T.B. Joshua is Dead at the Young Age of 57: The Nigerian Megachurch Pastor Died Shortly After Conducting a Live Broadcast on Saturday, According to His Official Facebook Page

T.B. Joshua, an influential and controversial evangelist, has died. He was 57.

The Nigerian preacher died shortly after conducting a live broadcast on Saturday, according to his official Facebook page.

“God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will,” a post on the page read. “His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for.”

His death reportedly came hours after speaking at a meeting for Emmanuel TV, the broadcast arm of the church he founded—Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).

His final words were said to be: “Watch and pray.” The cause of death has not been revealed publicly.

Nigerian social commentator Japheth Omojuwa described Joshua’s death as “a big loss to Nigeria.”

PROPHET TB JOSHUA – JUNE 12th 1963 to JUNE 5th 2021
“Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” – Amos 3:7 pic.twitter.com/I10Uu8laVq

— TB Joshua (@SCOANTBJoshua) June 6, 2021

Joshua was also a controversial figure.

Most recently, YouTube suspended his account in April 2021 over allegations of hate speech after videos showed him trying to “cure” gay people through prayer.

In response, Joshua’s ministry page said YouTube had made its decision “in haste” and called on supporters to contact YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to express their “concerns.”

Three days later, the preacher told his followers: “What happened is a blessing. I want you to help me pray for YouTube. Pray for them.”

Facebook has also removed a photograph from his official page that showed a woman being slapped by Joshua, who claimed he was exorcising a “demonic spirit.”

The pastor, who was estimated to be worth between $10 and 15 million by Forbes in 2011, faced numerous legal battles after a guesthouse belonging to the SCOAN collapsed in Lagos in 2014, killing at least 115 people, mostly South Africans who had traveled to see the preacher.

In 2016, the Panama Papers leak that exposed how many of the rich and powerful hid their wealth led to reports Joshua opened a company in a known tax haven. Joshua denied any wrongdoing.

That same year, he was left red-faced after publicly predicting a Hillary Clinton victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Joshua predicted that the race would be won by a “woman,” without naming Clinton—a forecast which proved to be incorrect.

The following year, Joshua again made international headlines when a South African preacher said he had stopped asking worshippers to eat live snakes after listening to Joshua’s sermons.

Penuel Mnguni, who calls himself the general overseer of End Times Disciples Ministries, said that he began the practice of feeding live snakes to his followers after misinterpreting several passages in the Bible, one of which states that believers shall “take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them” (Mark 16:16-18).

Mnguni gave testimony at a service at Joshua’s church in Lagos, stating that he had been healed from his former ways by listening to Joshua.

T. B. Joshua would have turned 58 years old next week. He leaves behind a wife, Evelyn, and their three children.

Source: Newsweek

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Details of how Pastor T.B. Joshua died emerge

Details have emerged of how popular Nigerian pastor, Prophet TB Joshua died.

Reports say the man of God died on his way to the hospital yesterday evening, after performing a church function.

TB Joshua, who is the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN, was said to have been sick for two days, before his death.

Though the cause of death has not been disclosed, it is believed that the corpse of the prophet has been deposited at the Isolo General Hospital in Lagos

“Yesterday evening, he led a service. He had been ill for the past two days. After the evening performance, he decided to go to the hospital.

“On his way to the hospital, he passed away,” a source close to the family revealed to Sahara reporters

The popular prophet died at the age of 57, a few days to his 58th birthday which is June 12.

The deceased was born on June 12, 1963, in Arigidi, Akoko axis, Ondo State.

Source: Seun Opejobi, Daily Post of Nigeria

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Popular Nigerian televangelist T.B. Joshua dies at 57

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Temitope Balogun Joshua, one of Africa’s most popular televangelists who was known as T.B. Joshua, has died. He was 57.

The Nigerian-born pastor was founder of the mega church Synagogue Church Of All Nations, or SCOAN, which also runs the Emmanuel Television Station in Lagos.

The church announced his death in a statement Sunday. No cause of death was given.

“God has taken His servant Prophet T.B Joshua home — as it should be by divine will,” the church said, adding that “his last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for.”

T.B. Joshua was noted for making predictions and for his claims to cure various ailments and to make people prosper through miracles. He was, however, controversial, with critics questioning his claims and saying he profited off of people seeking hope.

More than 15,000 people from Nigeria and abroad attend SCOAN’s Sunday services.

Many African presidents, senior government officials, international soccer players, musicians and other high-profile guests have worshipped in the church. He was popular in many African countries, and in South America where he had held many religious crusades.

In September 2014, the guest house of the church collapsed, killing more than 100 people, most of them foreigners who were in Nigeria to attend his services.

While authorities say the building collapsed because of structural defects, T.B. Joshua insisted the building was blown up by a small plane that he claimed flew over it shortly before it came down.

Joshua is survived by his widow and three children.

Source: Associated Press